What Drivers Are Saying

This car was my daughtet's first and second cars. They both run great and are made to really protect yoy in a crash. The first saturn was involved in an accudent where another vehicle ran right up onto the windsheild and my daghter walked away without a sratch. The second accident she was involved in a four carpile up on the interstate. The passenger 'cage' design protected her and again, she walked away without a scratch. This time the car was totaled. So she biught another saturn just like it. That car was rear ended at a stop light, and onky bumper damage. She still drives it to work, shopping, vacation trips, everywhere. It is an exceptional, reliable car to own. I like how it keepf her so safe. We also own a saturn vue and love it. Plus saturns are great to tow behind RVs, they tow on all 4 wheels easily. It was a sad day when we heard saturn woul close their doors.it's a good thing these saturns last so long and are easy keepers. .

I purchased a 2001 Saturn SL a couple months back with 50K miles. It looks, runs and drives great. Only disappointment is that I'm only getting about 32 MPG. The '99 I had previously got about 42mpg. Still, it is a good car!

I've had my 2001 Saturn for the last three years and my mileage is at 130K. I still get 30 mpg. It uses a minor amount of oil each month.
It will increase in revs while stopped. I have found that by pressing in and holding the oxygen sensor and/or taping it in tighter will stop this for a couple of months. If the check engine light comes on, I'll re tape the sensor and all is good.
For a front wheel drive vehicle, it is decent in the snow, just need to remember to keep decent rear tires on to reduce spinning out.
Other than that, regular maintaince and expected repairs have occurred.
It's resale value is pathetic, so I plan on driving it till it dies. From what I've been reading, that might be a few more years. Sweet!

2001 Saturn SL2 is my first vehicle! I purchased it new 17 years ago and still running like a champ! It starts up easy. I t has been a very low maintenance by changing oil every 3,000 to 4,000 miles, changing battery to the very end of its life, as well as its tires. In short, I trust the credibility and reliability of this car because it gets me to work for that long period of time without any problem. The body still looks beautiful and in fashion. One time I parked my car in the parking lot, I noticed that it looks like somebody crashed my car because of scratch marks on the side of the body. I took the little rug and cleaner and it surprises me because the marks were totally erased after several attempts of cleaning. That was amazing ! Because my car was looked like got hit heavily by looking on those marks. Other than that It"s not showing any ding nor any damaged!
Saturn body make is very incredible! I love this car! I will keep it until it serves me its purpose!!

What a love/hate relationship!!! It's really so very sad that the 2001 SL2, the most beautiful small sedan design ever (in my humble opinion) had such raw, primitive, low-quality engineering.
I had and loved a 1995 Saturn SW2 that was unfortunately destroyed by a natural disaster (or I'd still be driving it). This '95 was smooth, quiet, rugged, and dependable - I had no plans to EVER let go of it. But its getting smashed by a fallen tree changed my plans. Naturally, I thought a silver, exquisitely beautiful little 2001 Saturn SL sedan would be a wonderful replacement, but I soon found that I was grossly mistaken - the 2001 SL vibrated horribly at a red light (a problem I believed I could get fixed but never ever could), it squeaked and rattled at various speeds, with all windows closed it tranferred insufferable road noise into the cabin on the highway (like an open jeep!), both the CD and the cassette player broke (completely), the sunroof broke and repair cost was beyond belief, one of the interior reading light buttons fell out, and it started burning oil like a diesel.
I had the most beautiful body ever designed by Saturn with the worst engineering of this era. When the A/C compressor (proprietary Saturn) died and the repair was more than the car was worth, I had no choice but to get rid of it. Frankly, I was in despair. I kept it only because it was beautiful - but oven-like temperatures on the black leather upholstery made me trade it in for a fleet-owned Taurus...another hardy sedan, but quite a gas hog compared to Saturns.
If Saturn could have continued the quality it had in the 1990's, it might have survived. But the last of its truly home-grown models, the 3rd generation S series, like my 2001 SL2, were the beginning of its demise. So extremely sad, because the artists, the designers, were reaching their peak of beauty in the early 2000's, while the engineering and quality were making NO progress, but actually crashing badly.

As much as I claim to hate this car, I have to admit that it's been pretty good to me despite sitting outside in subzero wisconsin temperatures. I bought the car new in 2001 and did have the headgasket replaced around 90,000 - however it should be noted that I am TERRIBLE about oil changes and it is common knowledge that these cars do use oil. Other than that, three sets of tires (the originals lasted 80,000 +) regular oil changes and minor maintance has been about it. I drive 90 miles round trip per day and I never worry about if I'll make it or not.

The overdrive revs at 2500(rpm) at 70 mph's, and I still get (at a low in the winter in Wisconsin) 32-33 miles per gallon, in the summer 34-37+, a/c will play a big role in that. My point is I put 20,000 miles on this year and just had to change oil, I'd drive this car anywhere. This car does have every feature under the sun, but at the price I think one gets alot of car.

I bought my car new in December of 2000, and now I have 122,000 on it. I have kept all of the routine maintenance and fortunately have had no major repairs. Plus, I average about 30 mpg. It still looks and runs great and I hope to keep it going for another 100,000 miles!

I own a 2001 SL2 10th Anniversary Edition (A/C, power windows, trunk, locks, security system, everything), with stunning "teardrop" stainless wheels, luxurious quality black leather upholstery, and a still gorgeous glossy silver exterior.
This is, in my humble opinion, one of the most beautiful small sedans ever designed (and I've been a car design fanatic since the 1950's). Admittedly, I bought it purely for its visual appeal. It is aerodynamically wedge-shaped and super-sleek, with fine artistic features in its lovely contours.
Unfortunately, the mechanical aspects inside this gorgeous body are by comparison primitive and disappointing. The engine is noisy and vibrates badly when the car is stopped in drive at a stop-light (automatic tranny) - even though I've had ALL the engine mounts replaced and the engine rocked and balanced by experts. The CD and cassette players have both died for no apparent reason. The sliding sunroof/moonroof has broken (plastic) runners and can no longer be opened.
All of the above I have since learned is true for almost every 3rd generation SL. This inattention to engineering refinement and quality is enough to justify Saturn's demise. It is a crime to design such a beautiful body and equip it with such primitive or defective engineering.
Ironically, I had a 1995 Saturn SW2 that was superior in engineering to this 2001 SL2 in every way. Unfortunately, my '95 SW2 was destroyed by a falling tree. Otherwise, I would still be driving it!
But one last thing in this '01 SL2's favor. It has almost 135,000 miles on it and it is still a great car on the highway. It cruises effortlessly at 80 mph. If I only had a CD player that worked, an operating sunroof, and no engine shuddering at a stoplight, then I would be a very proud and happy camper.
I can still be proud that my SL2 LOOKS so beautiful...in spite of some of its primitive engineering.